Late Blossom
by copyxkakashi
Summary: Hinata never thought she'd be comfortable around Naruto, but when the two of them are assigned a dangerous mission, everything changes. [NaruHina] later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Late Blossom**

Chapter 1

* * *

_Hyuuga Hinata had a small secret. While it may not have been a very significant secret, it was a secret nonetheless. And despite her efforts, it was quite difficult to conceal this secret. Try as she might to hide it, it was quite evident every time she spoke to a certain person; to her credit, she did do her best to think of other things, and at times that was enough, but as the days passed, she had to admit that Uzumaki Naruto was always playing across her mind. And it wasn't entirely her fault either; the blonde just had to be so…captivating. Whenever he turned those innocent, soft blue eyes to her, she could feel her knees tremble. And when he flashed that wide, baby-like smile, she could not prevent her stomach from fluttering. Still, she was a shy, soft-spoken girl, and could not summon the courage to project her feelings. _

"Kakashi sensei!" yelped Naruto, "You have to take me to Ichikaru Ramen today! RAMEN, RAMEN!"

The silver-haired jounin's previously bright eyes drooped significantly.

"And is there a reason why I should do that, Naruto?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"Because you're my sensei and you're the best, right?" The blonde challenged, poking his former teacher's side.

"Okay, okay stop shouting and bouncing around. Then I'll take you there." Kakashi replied dejectedly. The energetic chuunin cheered, running around the jounin in dizzying circles. The jounin sighed balefully, already regretting his blatantly idiotic decision.

Hinata was on her way home when an orange blur barreled into her, knocking her head over heels across the arid dirt. Had her reflexes been functioning properly, she probably would have twisted out of danger with ease. The fact, however, that the only person in Konoha who wore blinding orange was none other than Uzumaki Naruto threw her instincts off for a split second, and in that time, the excited teen had plowed into her.

Now she sat amid an unattractive cloud of yellow dust in the middle of the populated busy street, covered in filth and small scrapes. Under normal circumstances, such a position would have been embarrassing enough for the Hyuuga. The fact, however, that a certain blonde-haired boy lay pressed on top of her made the entire situation far more appalling.

"Oi, sorry…Hinata," apologized Naruto, sheepishly. Then, realizing he was lying spread-eagled across her effeminate form, got up and held out a hand to the still-seated girl.

But she was not looking at him. Hinata was staring at the ground, blushing so fiercely that her face could hardly be distinguished from an overly ripe tomato.

"Um…um…tha-that's okay, Naruto-kun," she stuttered softly. Far too unsettled to reach for his hand, or anything related to him, for that matter, she stood up herself and fled in humiliation.

"Hey, Hinata, where are you going?!" the blonde called after her, clearly puzzled, but she had already disappeared.

Hinata raced into her room, slammed the door behind her, and blocked it with her back. She was panting, partly from her hasty departure, but mostly because being positioned under Naruto had made her heart beat uncontrollably fast.

"Get a grip," she scolded herself, "You're too old to react this way."

She grabbed her teddy bear and hugged it so tightly it seemed like she intended to choke it; its soft fur was a comforting solace and its shiny, black eyes almost seemed to convey a caring message: that it was alright and not a big deal. She exhaled slowly, letting the heated tension that had invaded and rushed through her entire body permeate out, and became composed once more. Exhaustion from the extremity of adrenaline that had ravaged her body made sleep the logical next choice of action. She kicked off her originally-black sandals (which had become the unappealing yellow characteristic of the village dirt roads) and pulled off her large, light lilac jacket, which had also suffered from the unfortunate fate of her shoes. With a muffled breath, she toddled over to her lavender mattress and plopped like a rag doll onto its plushy surface. In a matter of moments, she floated off into needed slumber.

Evening was only just starting its insidious encroachment on the warm afternoon when the delicate Hyuuga's blissful ignorance of outside activities was abruptly wrenched away.

"Hinata, get out of your room! Godaime Hokage requires your presence in her office, right now! You inconsiderate disgrace to our noble family's name, go answer her summons at once, and don't you dare be late." Hiashi shouted, impatiently banging the wooden door so forcibly that little fist-sized shapes dented the formerly-even surface.

"Ye-yes father…" she called back, meekly. She heard Hiashi's footsteps stomping back down the hall to his room, and then scrambled hurriedly out of the house. She moved quickly, as the Hokage was not one to tolerate tardiness.

Tsunade had just briefed Naruto on an emergency mission, and was immediately regretting it, as complaints were now rolling freely off the blonde shinobi's tongue.

"But…this is an A rank mission!" protested Naruto, "How about Sakura-chan or…fuzzy brows or someone else? I mean, I've never worked with Hinata, and she has never worked with me…and we barely KNOW each other. Oi, granny, are you listening?"

This question was completely unnecessary, as Tsunade's face quite frankly showed she had been. In fact, it practically radiated her irritation. She raised her clenched fist, opened her mouth, and was about to yell out a particular string of inappropriate words at the blonde, when the door opened and Hyuuga Hinata walked in.

Instantly, her infuriated countenance became one of serene dignity.

"Good to see you, Hinata" the Sannin greeted. Without waiting for a reply, she continued, "I was just explaining this mission's overview to Naruto," and at this point she shot a glare at the boy, "but I guess I should explain it again seeing as you have arrived and he didn't hear a word I said. To begin, I chose you two for this task because I know it is very important to both of you. Recently, I sent a team out to gather information on Orochimaru's whereabouts, as we've received information that he must switch a host soon. I hoped that they could've found him in his weakened state, but I was wrong. He found them, instead. Jiraiya investigated the area where they were last seen and discovered their bodies, barely alive. He brought them back to me two days ago, and I had to perform medical jutsus so complex I almost decided against them."

"Are they alright? Where are they now-?" Naruto cut in.

"Let me finish!" snapped Tsunade, "They will be alright in a few days. But that is not the problem…you see, Orochimaru has disappeared again. And along with him, another Konoha shinobi has become missing. This is where we come to the heart of the mission. Naruto, Hinata, it is crucial you bring this person back as soon as humanly possible, before Orochimaru has a chance to perform his infamous and irreversible body exchanging jutsu. But I'm sure I don't need to tell you two this, because the shinobi that was taken holds a rather prominent amount of both of your affections-"

"Who?" demanded the blonde urgently, as Hinata stared wide-eyed at the Godaime. Tsunade shot a glance of death at his repetitive intrusions on her speech, then continued her disturbing mission description with a sigh of a thousand lamentations.

"Hyuuga Neji"

* * *

Okay that was quite humiliating. I think I'll go run into a corner and die now, thanks. 


	2. Chapter 2

Late Blossom

Chapter 2

* * *

"Neji-san?" cried Hinata in disbelief. She had managed to remain silent during the entire explanation but after hearing the name of her cousin, could not stop herself from uttering a despairing cry. She glanced incredulously at Naruto, wishing this was all just an unpleasant joke. The blonde's face startled her: a mixture of pain, shock, and…anger?

"Granny Tsunade….where are we to begin searching?" he asked. His voice shook with the characteristic of unsuccessfully forced control.

Tsunade looked perplexed.

"To tell you the truth," she began, "The only place you could start would be where their bodies were found…Tenchi Bridge, in the Grass Village."

"That place?" Naruto broke in, "No!" He shuddered. His only prior experience of the place had been his fight against Orochimaru, where he lost control of the Kyuubi. The blonde was not one to believe in superstition but the fact that he'd be tracking the Snake Sannin from that area had an ominous feel to it.

Godaime let out an audible sigh.

"Naruto…you and Hinata are going to be going alone. Yamato will not be with you this time. It is incredibly critical you do not lose control; Naruto, you know the consequences of using _that _power. Don't resort to it…or you will end up hurting both yourself and Hinata-"

"I know, granny. I know these things. Hinata, let's go! We need to save Neji-"

"Not so fast!" Tsunade cut back in at full volume, "I must emphasize this point: do not engage Orochimaru face-to-face-"

"But-"

"SILENCE! Do not fight him, Naruto, and that is final. You are dismissed."

Naruto looked enraged for a moment, then turned stiffly and headed for the door. Hinata began to follow his example, spinning herself around and taking a step-

"No, Hinata, I have more to say to you," Tsunade said.

"Oh so that's it, I get it now, granny. What do you need to say to her that you don't want me to know?" shouted Naruto, losing his head once more.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the Godaime pronounced deliberately and icily, "If I hear one more word come out of your mouth, I'm going to shut it once and for all."

The outspoken shinobi looked defiant, but after ruling out a full out retaliation and absorbing Hokage's threat, stomped loudly out the door like a petulant child. Tsunade eyed his irritable exit in disdain.

"God, he's such a nuisance sometimes," she muttered touchily, "But moving along: Hinata, you may have wondered why I placed you and Naruto together for this mission. Is that right?"

The Hyuuga nodded uncertainly.

"Well, the reason for that is not really because you two both feel a stronger attraction to Neji. In fact, that very reason is why I would've preferred that Naruto didn't need to be assigned this particular mission at all. Our current elite ninja are all unavailable at the moment, however, and I have no choice."

She paused for a moment.

"With Orochimaru involved, I know he'll lose control." She declared with dire certainty.

Hinata held her gaze fearfully, opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it.

"And that is where you come in. Hinata, with the Byakugan you will be able to see and stop the malicious chakra of the Nine-tailed fox. I know I'm assigning you a gargantuan task, but I'm confident in you're abilities. If you see any sign of a wilder, unrestrained energy emanating from Naruto, you must stop it immediately."

The Hyuuga bobbed her head.

"This is the reason I assigned you with Naruto. Keep in mind that, if it is too late and you are unable to prevent Naruto from imminent transformation, run and hide. Hinata, do not put your own life in danger any more than necessary, especially since if indeed Naruto changes, he will not be able to recognize friend from foe. The fourth tail is the key to determining whether he can be controlled. If you see a fourth tail, then Naruto is more fox than human, and will hurt you as he would an enemy. Do your best to manage the Kyuubi, but don't die for it. Konoha has sustained far too many casualties as it is. That is all. Dismissed." And with a shooing gesture from her right hand, she ushered the confused and uncertain girl out of her office.

Hinata stepped out of the room, her head spinning with questions. _What would happen if she couldn't control the demon fox's chakra? Could they find Neji-san?_ However, such questions were to be saved for later, for as soon as she laid a foot outside of the room, a blonde shinobi was suddenly in her face.

"Oi, Hinata! What did she say? Why won't she tell me? Let's go now! We have no time to waste! Neji needs us! Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!"

The Hyuuga blinked blankly, wishing that the orange-clad ninja wasn't so close and unaccustomed to taking the full brunt of his boundless energy.

"N-Naruto-kun" she mumbled, thinking fast, "P-please calm down. Hokage-sama only wanted to tell me not to overwork myself. It's not a problem."

The blonde boy fixed her with his intense blue gaze, searching her face for signs of dishonesty. Hinata blushed and held her breath, hoping that her pounding heart and sweaty forehead would not give her away. God, she wished his eyes weren't so darn beautiful: it made it hard for her to conceal anything from him.

Then Naruto looked away, evidently satisfied. The Hyuuga exhaled, relieved.

"Well, let's go then!" he suggested impatiently.

"Nauto-kun, um…please don't be in such a rush. Y-you know it won't do us any good if we hurry out unprepared. We should eat first, and rest ourselves before we-"

She was stopped by the incredulous look on the blonde's face.

"Hinata, we can't." he said simply, "Orochimaru won't wait for us; if we don't find him as soon as possible, it will be too late! I won't let Neji be taken over by that foul snake. I _will_ save him! I must." His pained expression made the Hyuuga's heart hurt.

He turned to run out, and Hinata realized the truth in his words. This was it, this was the real thing. Neji would be gone forever if she didn't find him now. And she would. She had not spent all this time training for nothing, and she would prove to that gorgeous boy that she could help him. She was not going to be that insignificant being any longer.

* * *

let your reviews be nice 


	3. Chapter 3

Late Blossom

Chapter 3

* * *

Tenchi Bridge had seen better days. At one point, it had been a magnificent structure that offered weary travelers safe passage across a yawning ravine of unimaginable depth. Now, it lay in battered ruins, blasted to disgrace by forces far greater than any wooden construction could bear. The bridge was overgrown with sinister vines that snaked across the rotting timber, grasping it with their thorny embrace, and the planks that once stretched across the deep gorge now hung flaccidly, lonesome on either side. Within the unending abyss of unperceivable darkness, past the vision of the pitiful naked eye, a slim figure walked erratically between compressing stony dark rock walls. A limp form drooped from its outstretched arms, and a malicious, distorted half-smile adorned its pasty, white face. 

A pleased whisper echoed eerily through the gulch.

"It begins"

It hardly seemed like an ideal time to be outside. The sun bathed the earth in sweltering rays, and even the animals seemed discouraged from activity. A blinding flash of orange trailed immediately by lavender streaked across the barren dirt road, generating clouds of inconvenient dust that billowed harrowingly behind them.

Uzumaki Naruto had a vague sense of the intense heat that beat down upon him, but did not give the rather uncomfortable sensation any further attention, as it was barely noticeable through the high velocity winds that swirled against his body. All of his thoughts, all of his will were concentrated into one goal that loomed ahead of him. Hyuuga Neji's rescue was of the utmost priority, and none of nature's interrupting obstacles would be able to stop Naruto's reunion with his unruffled friend. Directly behind the blonde teen, an equally resolute countenance was set on reddened pastel skin. Hyuuga Hinata's normally affable features were now nearly unrecognizable under a mask of concentration. _Naruto-kun_, she thought forcefully, _we can do this. I can do this!_ _You'll see, Naruto-kun, I won't let you down! _With that silent promise, she willed her legs faster, and leveled with the determined boy, who glanced over and gave her a brief, rather startled smile. Then, together, the two shinobi shot down the road, their formidably distant destination looming ever-closer.

As the temperature of the Hokage building rose to unbearable heights, so did the Godaime's volatile temper. Seeing as this particular day was exceptionally hot, Shizune could not have picked a poorer time to confront Tsunade and her decision to send Naruto on the Neji-retrieval mission.

"Tsunade-sama, I can NOT believe you-"the flustered assistant began,

The Hokage exhaled tiredly, in a manner one would sigh when a pesky fly buzzes incessantly around one's ear.

"Is this regarding Naruto in any way?" she questioned, her tone laced with annoyance.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, how could you send him on-"

"Shizune, this wretched weather already has my nerves on the line, and of all the times you could possibly choose to bring up this age-old topic (of which I have reiterated my unwavering answer countless times), I can NOT believe you would choose now. So if you know what's good for you, then walk calmly out the door before I hurl my desk, and all the miscellaneous objects weighted upon it, at your rather slim figure. Bother me when this thermometer indicates that the temperature is below 90 degrees Fahrenheit" She motioned towards the little red device tacked to her wall. Taking the blatant message sardonically conveyed in a subliminal manner, Shizune backed swiftly out of the room and shut the door softly behind her. Tsunade heaved a sigh again, shook her head in disapproval, and resumed her work.

The sun was only just beginning to descend, casting a gorgeous shade of deep lilac across the vast sky, when Hinata's aching feet betrayed her will and buckled catastrophically beneath her overstrained body. As she collapsed unceremoniously on the gravel beneath her, she let out a shriek of shame and frustration. _NO!_ she screamed in agony to herself, _I'm better than this. I won't let you down! _Hit with the force of the miserable cry, Naruto skidded brusquely to a halt, producing an even larger cloud of lung-contaminating dust particles in his wake. He groaned silently to himself. _See Granny Tsunade? This is entirely your fault. Hinata-chan has never been strong before, how could she handle such a crucial mission like this?_ Naruto was slightly abashed when he recognized the malice behind the thoughts that came to his mind. Composing himself, he started towards Hinata's fallen form.

"Na-naruto-kun…" she whispered dejectedly, "I-I'm so sorry"

"Hush, Hinata-chan," comforted the blonde, "Let's set up camp here for today. Come on"

He grasped the humiliated girl's soft hands firmly, and pulled her up into a standing position. Exerting a tad bit too much force during the process, however, brought her so close to the blonde, azure-eyed god that their faces were separated by a mere 2 inches. Hyuuga Hinata's large, pale pupils caught Uzumaki Naruto's baby blue ones, held them for an awkward three seconds, and then abruptly closed. With a little exhalation, and a vividly red face, she fainted into his outspread arms.

* * *

Soo I lost interest in fanfiction until last week and managed to produce this chapter. Don't be harsh T.T 


	4. Chapter 4

Late Blossom

Chapter 4

* * *

As the sun dropped below the horizon, the sky was transformed from shallow lavender into a rich canvas of limitless deep blue. The night cast its soothing blanket over the land, and quiet tranquility swathed the forest, lowering the previously agonizingly high temperatures to a comfortably cool level. Within a petite clearing, where the towering, concentrated canopy of leaves that over-looked the forest floor left a reluctant opening, lay two motionless figures. In undisturbed serenity, Uzumaki Naruto sat inertly cross-legged on his sleeping bag, listening to the even, shallow breath that escaped from Hinata Hyuuga's sleeping form. Distraught thoughts drifted across his troubled mind in steady rhythm. 

_Neji too, huh?, _mused the blonde, _as if that twisted snake charmer hadn't done enough by taking my closest friend away and murdering him. _The outspoken boy had developed a connection so strong with Uchiha Sasuke that he had broke through the colossal rivalry between them, and tacitly referred to the stolid teen as a brother. Yet, even the near-inextricable bond of friendship and fraternal affection that had asserted itself between the two was not sufficient to prevent the raven-haired shinobi from turning and walking icily away from the blonde's life. Consumed entirely by the fire of vindictive rage, the talented shinobi had turned to the Snake Sannin for assistance. Under the guidance of Orochimaru's covetous motives, Sasuke's ingenious dexterity and dynamism flourished and cultivated to lethal proficiency.

However, a negligent blunder, or perhaps a stroke of terrible judgmental fate, had decimated the dark haired adolescent's path; a stray kunai had managed to cut across the teen's entire face, slicing a relatively shallow but utterly destructive wound from his right ear through the coveted Sharingan pupils that the Uchiha had protectively possessed and incessantly nurtured. The tragic occurrence unleashed a monstrous infuriation that ravaged the serpentine genius beyond confinement. With the last hope of attaining the Sharingan eradicated, the Sannin's vengeance was abhorrently appalling to behold. With no further function to the malicious, aggravated man, Sasuke became the target of unimaginable fury. Without the power of his superior bloodline, the raven-haired shinobi's abilities may well have matched those of a wooden training dummy's when confronted by the full brunt of Orochimaru's unrestrained anger. Monstrous snakes had exploded by the hundreds from the earth around him, encasing him in a writhing mass of repulsive, green serpents that tore and ripped at his beautiful body until all that remained were infinitesimal particles of marred flesh and bone that lay scattered in nauseatingly bloody shame. Orochimaru had literally annihilated Uchiha Sasuke from the surface of the earth.

_But that wasn't enough, was it? _Naruto thought impetuously, _No, that hadn't been enough. The insatiable mutant had to abduct Neji as well. _Once again, an overwhelming anger took him and he gripped his thighs with claws of fury-supported strength and shook. Hinata's wide eyes fluttered open in concern and caught sight of the distressed blonde's condition. Alarmed, she quickly debated whether to return to feigned slumber or to uncover her façade and soothe the attractive blonde. Mind and sense debated with emotions and heart in a restless struggle. Instinctively, the delicate girl reverted to one of her original, reticent habits: finger twiddling. The unconscious movement of her tapping index digits captured Naruto's attention and snapped him out of the maelstrom of silent enmity he had been momentarily trapped in.

"Oi, Hinata," he started awkwardly, "What are you doing? I thought you were asleep"

The Hyuuga was taken entirely by surprise at the sound of the tanned teen's (who was supposed to have been deep in contemplation and not prone to making comments) defined tone. She fairly leaped out of her sleeping bag in astonishment, and stood there awkwardly as a cat startled by a badly-aimed shuriken would. Naruto scrutinized her disconcerted form curiously, and as his angelic eyes ran up her slim waist, past her now-distinguished chest area to her face, Hinata wished she could just drop into an incredibly deep hole and disappear from sight forever.

_I will NOT pass out, _she emphasized to herself, _it's about time that I can handle this._ Gathering her shaken nerves and inhaling deeply, the slender Hyuuga opened her mouth and spoke to the outspoken blonde with deliberate eye contact for the first time.

"Um...Naruto-kun," she began, steadying the insecurity of her voice.

"Eh, Hinata-chan?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we should…well I don't know if you had enough sleep or…but we could head out now if you…if you want to" she finished lamely.

The tanned teen broke out into a wide grin.

"Wow Hinata-chan," he replied excitedly, "That's what I was just thinking about"

The wide-eyed girl nodded uncertainly in agreement.

"Well, then," He imitated an ANBU captain's steady tone, "Tenchi Bridge is only a day or two away. Head out!"

Despite having to carry an inanimate figure with his recently-restored arms, the man strolled leisurely and effortlessly towards the colossal, mysteriously-emerald boulder that marked the end of the near-fathomless gorge. Upon reaching the vicinity just ten yards away from the massive obstruction, he muttered a series of measured syllables in a hoarse yet strangely lyrical voice, and the baffling enigma revealed itself. The sinister bodies of an innumerable myriad of great, rope-like snakes slithered apart and rearranged themselves in perniciously glorious sturdy pillars that wormed underneath the gargantuan barrier. With disturbing magnificence, the enormous rock levitated into the musty air, supported by a multitude of serpents that extended their lengthy shapes into glistening viridian towers. The yawning, infinitely pitch-black cavern that divulged itself seemed to radiate a palpable gust of chilling malice. The white-skinned figure let a satisfied chuckle escape his thin lips. Unhurriedly, he walked towards the unperceivable darkness, until the ominous shadows completely engulfed his sickly pale body. The massive boulder thundered to the ground like an impregnable gate, sealing Orochimaru and his prized captive away.

* * *

Okay, now that THAT'S over I'd just like everyone to know that I have edited chapters one and two, so they flow a bit better. Thanks for all reviews and remember, don't be HARSH on me :D 


End file.
